(Bloomberg) — ASML Holding NV, a critical cog in the global semiconductor industry, said a former employee in China stole data about its technology, risking to inflame political tensions amid heightened concerns about espionage.
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The Dutch technology company, which makes machines needed to produce high-end chips used in everything from electric vehicles to military gear, initiated an internal investigation and tightened security controls after recently discovering the data breach. It said on Wednesday that export controls may have been violated, exposing the company to a potential regulatory backlash.
ASML’s data breach involved technological information but not hardware and was carried out by a male employee in the last couple months, according to a person familiar with the details. Authorities in the Netherlands and the US have been notified, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the investigation is ongoing.
The revelation comes just as…
2023-02-15 05:33:24
Article from finance.yahoo.com
On Tuesday, June 2nd, a former employee of a Chinese technology company known as ASML was accused of misappropriating and stealing data from the company. The company, which specializes in the manufacture of advanced lithography systems and other optical systems, was alerted to the situation after the data was discovered on a server located outside the company premises, triggering an internal investigation.
The former employee, who has not been officially named, was accused of employing a range of techniques to gain access to data that they were not authorised to access. These include “privilege escalation”, the use of unrestricted accounts and the bypassing of network security measures. It was also reported that the stolen data was most likely intended to benefit competitors of the company and had an estimated value in the millions of dollars.
The case is now being closely monitored by Chinese law enforcement and security agencies, who continue to investigate the full extent of the data theft. ASML, who are known for their commitment to the protection of proprietary technology, released a statement clarifying that their strict security measures had identified the breach and that their systems were now secure.
Given the competitive nature of the technology industry, misappropriation of data is a growing concern. Companies such as ASML are encouraging employees to remain vigilant against cyber threats and making use of the latest technology to protect data. As the potential cost of data theft can be considerable, companies must act fast and seek legal advice to ensure that their proprietary data is secure.
